The year is 2024 and it’s 1984

Déjà vu…

This is written in response to the highly significant open letter from a group of economists that was today addressed to Christopher Luxon.

---

The year is 2024, and it’s 1984.

The country is reeling from a record Olympic medal gold haul, while the globe grapples with the choice of the US re-electing an ancient Republican President for a second term off promises of a strong economic recovery. International tensions are high between nuclear powers. In Europe, Le Pen is leading the rise of the far right.

Here at home, the National Party are in power, led by a large bald man with an even larger ego. The Treaty of Waitangi Principles are being defined and committed to, and the country is deeply divided over politics. The PM’s response to this issue is objectively poor. He retains questionable control over the people in his government resulting in a young female politician taking the face of the movement in opposing action on the floor of Parliament.

His semi-related financial background makes him mistakenly believe he has a good understanding of economics and this results in bad policy and harmful effects from his very-ill-advised efforts to control inflation. Economists, alarmed at New Zealand’s fiscal direction, call for the Prime Minister to heed expert advice. His actions are also undermining the constitutional integrity of New Zealand as he receives bipartisan criticism with stubbornness. Winston Peters is being wrong about medicine in order to deny rights to queer people.

A man sits in a bar drinking gin, feeling pleased with his nation’s political positioning.

The year is 2024 and it’s 1984.